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Chapters

• Rondina, R. and M. Mitchell (2022). Wellness Rewarded: A “how to” on designing behavioral-science informed financial health incentives In: D. Soman and N. Mazar (Eds), Behavioural Science in the Wild (P. 219-229). University of Toronto Press.

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Spilsbury, S., Wilk, P., Taylor, C., Prapavessis, H. & M. Mitchell. (2023) Reduction of financial health incentives and changes in physical activity. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open. 6(11): 1-12, e2342663.
• Lau, E, Mitchell, M & G. Faulkner. (2022). Long-term usage of a commercial mHealth app: A ‘multiple lives’ perspective. Frontiers in Public Health, 10: 1-15, 914433. 
• Rondina, R., Hong, M., Sarma, S. & M. Mitchell. (2021). Is it worth it? Cost-effectiveness analysis of a commercial physical activity app. BMC Public Health. 21 (1950), 1-10.
• Pearson, E., Prapavessis, H., Higgins, C., Petrella, R. & M. Mitchell. (2020). Adding team-based financial incentives to the Carrot Rewards physical activity app increases daily step count on a population scale: A 24-week matched case-control study. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. 17 (139): 1-10.
• Mitchell, M, Orstad, S, Biswas, A, Oh, P, Jay, M, Pakosh, M & G. Faulkner. (2019). Financial incentives and physical activity in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 54: 1259-1268.

Visit for a comprehensive list of publications.

• Research partnership with (SSHRC Partnership Development Grant.
  Project title: “Walkin’ Wager”: Applying behavioural economics in the examination and promotion of physical activity app engagement.
• Research partnership with Evaluation funded by SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant.
  Project title: The Behavioural Economics for Engagement (“BEE”) Study: Applying behavioural economics in the examination and promotion of physical activity app engagement.
• Research partnership with Funding led by . Evaluation funded by ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Strategic Support for CIHR Success (Seed).
  Project title: Quasi-experimental evaluation of the incentive-based Caterpillar mHealth app.

• Nguyen, Lisa (2023). MSc, Kinesiology.

• Ratanshi, Nabil (2022). MSc, Kinesiology.

• Hiemstra, Madison (2021). MSc, Kinesiology.

Visit for a list of completed student theses and dissertations in the repository.

Accumulating evidence suggests deficiencies in the way digital health interventions are designed and evaluated. For example, health and fitness apps are usually not grounded in behavioural science nor are they rigorously tested. By leveraging strategic partnerships, my overarching research objective in the next five years will be to embed behavioural science into the design and evaluation of cutting-edge digital health interventions. My program of research can be categorized into three broad themes:

• Theme #1: Sustainable financial health incentives
• Theme #2: Better (eg, AI-driven) goal setting
• Theme #3: Digital chronic disease self-management

Interested trainees (undergraduate to post-doctoral) should email Marc Mitchell with their CV and a cover letter declaring their interests and fit.

• Podcast Interview, “The Dr. Greg Wells” Podcast with Dr. Greg Wells,

• Top 10% Ranking for Teaching Excellence (ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾, Faculty of Health Sciences)
• Edge of Government Award, World Government Summit (Carrot Insights Inc.)
• Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Award (Partnerships; Carrot Insights Inc. runner-up)
• ‘Best Canadian App’ (Mobile Syrup; Carrot Insights Inc.)
• ‘Top 10’ Abstract (Society of Behavioural Medicine Conference)

• Scientific Advisor, Behavioural Insights,
• Registered Kinesiologist, College of Kinesiologists of Ontario
• Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist, American College of Sports Medicine